


Disappointment

by bluestargirl6 (pressdbtwnpages)



Category: The OC
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-15
Updated: 2004-12-15
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/bluestargirl6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="http://the-rocklobster.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://the-rocklobster.livejournal.com/"><b>the_rocklobster</b></a> for <a href="http://chrismukkah.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://chrismukkah.livejournal.com/"><b>chrismukkah</b></a> 2004.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Disappointment

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://the-rocklobster.livejournal.com/profile)[**the_rocklobster**](http://the-rocklobster.livejournal.com/) for [](http://chrismukkah.livejournal.com/profile)[**chrismukkah**](http://chrismukkah.livejournal.com/) 2004.

Anna watched Seth lean down towards Summer and her stomach flipped. She watched Summer crane towards Seth and felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. It was so un-fucking-fair. She wanted that.

"Why should we just sit around waiting for them to decide we're good enough, Anna?"

"Danny." Anna turned, wiping her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes and gestured to the coffee cart in front of them, upon which Seth and Summer were putting the P into PDA.

"Okay, I knew what you were talking about. I meant…"

"What am I talking about?" Danny finished as if the whole exchange was making total sense. "I like you Anna. I think you're funny and hot and sweet and I think you got a raw deal with Cohen."

"I… uh… I'm really flattered Danny. Really. But it's been like a week since Seth and I broke up."

"Yes, I can see that you and Seth are clearly following strict rules of rebound dating," Danny again gestured at Seth and Summer.

"Danny-"

"Look, I want to go out with you. If you don't want to go out with me, don't. But if you do? Don't let Seth or some stupid sense of… propriety or whatever, stop you."

"You're right. I need to stop giving him power over my life," Anna nodded. "Sure Danny, let's go out sometime."

"Cool. Uh… so… uh…"

Anna looked at Danny curiously. "What happened to that confident guy who just conned me into going out with him?"

"Conned you? I didn't mean to con you. If you don't want to go out, we don't have to. It wasn't a trick Anna," Danny sounded hurt.

"No, I know. That's not what I meant. I just… I do want to go out with you Danny. Really."

"Really?"

"Yes. It will be nice to hang out with someone besides the five people I seem to spend every waking moment with," Anna nodded eagerly. "Wait. Why am I talking you into this? Wasn't going out your idea? What's up with the insecure guy act?"

"It's not an act," Danny muttered. "I seriously, seriously wasn't expecting you to say yes, at least not yet. Burst into tears? Yes. Slap me? Yes. Accept? Nooo."

Anna laughed gently. Danny reminded her of Seth, a better adjusted, less-needy, confident Cohen. A confident Cohen. Anna giggled again.

"Uh-oh. What's funny? Do I, like have food on my face or something?" Danny wiped his mouth.

Anna smiled and shook her head. She slipped her arm into Danny's and led him out of the Student Lounge. "Let's go plan our date, kay?"

 

"So where do you want to go?" Danny inquired.

"Dinner and a movie is always nice." Danny made a face. "What?"

"It's just… um, it's… classic."

"Classic?"

"Boring. Dinner and a movie is *boring* Anna!"

Anna laughed.

"Well what did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. Something exciting, something adventurous, something that will help us to get to know each other better."

"I will not go sky-diving Danny," Anna informed him seriously. "Or bungee-jumping, hang-gliding, para-sailing, or any other hyphenated extreme sport that involves my feet leaving the ground."

"Okay" Danny laughed. "What about the Fun Zone? Wanna go arcading with me?"

Anna smiled. "You should know I happen to be an excellent skee ball player."

"That is good to know. In the spirit of sharing, you should probably be aware that the Whack-A-Mole game-"

"Champion?" Anna guessed.

"I'm terrible at it!" Anna burst into giggles. "Seriously. It's bad. I'm always whacking left when I should be whacking right. I can never get a good grip and… and this is starting to sound horribly, horribly wrong."

"Yeah," Anna was still giggling but now blushing as well. "It was a little too much information. Especially this early in the relationship."

Danny beamed at her and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe after our date?"

"Maybe." The tone of Anna's voice was not encouraging and she and Danny couldn't help starting to giggle again.

Anna had laughed more in the fifteen minutes she'd been hanging out with Danny than she had in weeks.

She tried to remember the last time she had really laughed with Seth. Maybe in Palm Springs, but Anna kind of doubted it because the weekend had been so full of Summer drama. Though, to be fair, Seth and Anna's relationship had never not been full of Summer drama.

Anna could kick herself for giving in to her desire for Seth. She knew he wanted Summer, knew he'd been in love with the other girl forever. Anna had even realized that, given the opportunity, Seth would cheat on her with Summer. Anna had known better, known she deserved better, and yet she'd gone after Seth anyway.

"Hey. Turn that frown upside down!" Danny instructed. "Whatcha thinking about?"

Anna's lips quirked into a small smile. It seemed she couldn't stop smiling around Danny.

"I'm really looking forward to our date."

 

"Here comes Mr. Tickle!" Danny pinned Anna against the couch in the Student Lounge and began tickling her mercifully.

"You're so corny!" Anna rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's lame antics while at the same time giggling and shrieking with delight.

"Danny! Stop!" She gasped, attempting to sit upright again.

"You love it." Anna pulled his chin up to hers. Danny smiled shyly. "Hi."

"Hi." Anna kissed his lips softly. "You. Are. Ridiculously." She punctuated the words with kisses "Cute."

Danny stretched out against her. "And you are incredibly hot."

He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, passionately, and then rolled off of her.

Dazed, with a small, irrepressible smile on her lips, Anna rested her head on Danny's shoulder.

It was so nice to be wanted, really wanted, and Anna had no doubt that Danny wanted her.

"Hey," he protested, cuddling with her on the couch. "You're doing that annoying thinking thing again."

"Thinking is good."

"It really isn't. So what are you thinking about? Seth?"

"What? No, why?" Anna followed Danny's gaze to the door Seth and Summer had entered. Realizing what he was thinking, Anna turned to face her boyfriend and crossed her legs. "Danny. I'm over it. I really am. Just now what I was thinking about was *you*, how much I like you, how nice it is to be wanted."

Danny took Anna's hands in his. "It's only been three weeks. I understand if you're still… it's okay."

Anna shook her head, rolled her eyes. "You're not listening!" she exclaimed exasperatedly and then smiled to show Danny she wasn't mad.

"Danny! Anna!" Seth bounded up the stairs towards the couple. "I didn't know you were friends."

"We're friendly."

"Danny don't." Anna met Danny's eyes. "Please. Just… don't."

"What? I'm not allowed to be slightly… whatever about the whole ex-boyfriend thing? Especially after what happened last time?"

"Of course you are. But Danny, I'm with *you*."

"You're what now?" Seth cut in. Anna ignored him.

"I want to be with you Danny. Please trust me on that."

"I do," Danny held Anna close. "It's just…"

"I know. We both have a lot of issues."

"Wait. What the hell is going on here?" Seth demanded. Anna ignored him.

"This isn't about Seth," Anna explained to Danny before taking his face in her hands and kissing him passionately. "This is about us being okay."

"We are," Danny murmured in between kisses.

"You," Seth pointed, "and you… ew!"

"Seth," Summer joined the group and wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's waist. "Hi Anna, Danny."

"You knew about this?" Seth asked Summer, appalled.

"About what? Anna and Danny dating? Yeah."

"Dating? You're dating?!"

Curled close against Danny, Anna rolled her eyes. "Yes Seth."

"Dating Danny?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's… huh. Why didn't you tell me?" Seth looked hurt. Anna realized she didn't particularly care.

"Why weren't you paying attention?"

"I… uh… I…" Seth turned to his girlfriend for help. Summer raised her hands and stepped back.

"Don't look at me. I'm not the one being the jealous ex here."

"I'm being a concerned friend!"

Summer snorted. "No you're not."

"If you were really my friend," Anna said softly, "you would be happy that I've found a sweet, caring guy who actually *likes* me."

Danny shifted next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Anna smiled over at him gratefully.

"Anna it's not that I don't want you to be happy," Seth stammered. "I'm just… concerned that this-"

"May have nothing to do with you or Summer?" Anna suggested. "It doesn't. Not everything is about you Seth."

"No, I know. I just want, wanted, to know what's going on with you."

"It's been three weeks Seth. *Three*. What did you want? Danny to hire a skywriter to ask me out so that you would be kept in the loop?!"

It was such a ridiculous suggestion. Something Danny might have done, and something Seth actually would have appreciated. Summer was unable to suppress a smile and a soft chuckle.

Anna caught her eyes, surprised.

"I, um, congratulations you guys." Summer wished them sincerely. "You're both really good people and you deserve… happiness, or whatever."

"Summer. Thank you," Anna stood and quickly hugged the girl.

"I mean it. I'm," Summer shrugged, "sorry. For, you know, everything."

"It's cool." Danny finally joined the conversation. "It all worked out for the best, right?"

Summer beamed at him and nodded. She elbowed her boyfriend. "Cohen. Don't you think it's great that Anna and Danny are together?"

"Um. Great. Yes."

"And don't you think a double-date would be fun?"

"Um."

"What do you guys say? Dinner and… something fun Friday night?"

"I don't know Summer," Anna glanced at Seth. "Don't you think it might-"

"Sounds great!" Danny talked over Anna. "Meet you guys at 7 at the pier?"

"Perfect! See you then," Summer steered Seth away from the other couple.

"Why did you do that?" Anna hissed at her boyfriend.

"I… don't know. I thought it might be good. That it might prove you and I are serious. Besides, it might be fun."

"Danny."

"Yeah. Okay. Fun's sort of unlikely."

"Slightly."

 

Anna checked herself over in her mirror and wondered why she cared. It was only a date with Danny.

And Seth. And Summer.

Anna sighed and tore her eyes from the reflected image of herself. She hurried downstairs to wait for Danny.

 

"Don't be mad," Danny pleaded as they walked towards the pier.

"I'm not *mad*. I'm…"

"Disappointed?"

"Disappointed? No. What made you say that?" Anna wondered.

"My mom always says that when I screw up. She's never mad, just disappointed."

A smile quirked Anna's lips.

"In case you haven't noticed Danny, I am not your mother."

"I had noticed that actually Anna." Danny ran his eyes over her suggestively. "and, thank God."

The couple laughed lightly.

"Oh look. They're here already. This should be…" Danny searched for a proper adjective.

"Disappointing?" Anna suggested with a laugh.

Danny slung his arm around her and approached Seth and Summer.

"Hey guys!" Summer greeted them cheerfully

"Um, hey." Anna forced a smile and found it strange how easy it was to smile when it was just her and Danny.

"How are you guys?" Danny asked politely, playing host.

"Fine. We're fine," Seth stated possessively, pulling Summer to him. Summer rolled her eyes.

"So what should we do? Danny? Anna?"

"Dinner?" Anna suggested.

"You both like Charlie's right?" Danny gestured at the restaurant behind him. "What about you Seth? Feel like chili?"

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"Sounds great!" Summer enthused. "Why don't you guys go on in? Seth and I will be in in a sec."

Danny and Anna agreed and hurried towards the restaurant.

"So far, not horrible," Anna commented as they entered Charlie's Chili.

"Except for Seth."

Anna smirked. "He's being scolded as we speak."

"You think?"

"I *know*. Bet you dessert he's much better behaved when they come back."

Danny shook Anna's hand and accepted her bet as the waitress sat them in the beloved coffee-shop.

Summer and Seth joined them a few moments later.

"So what looks good?" Summer asked, arranging herself next to Seth.

"I'm partial to the Chili omelet. I can't not get it," Danny shrugged.

"What about you Anna?"

"Um, the fish tacos sound really good, but I'm not sure I can finish them."

"I'll split them with you if you want," Seth offered automatically.

Danny and Summer exchanged a concerned look and awkward silence descended over the table. Finally Anna broke it.

"Cool. So what are you getting Summer?"

"Chili Cheese Fries. I am all about the chili cheese fries."

Danny laughed. "So I seem to recall."

Summer blushed lightly and ducked her head. "Yeah."

"Want to skip the Tilt-A-Whirl tonight?" Danny suggested teasingly.

"I'm not the only guy you puke on?" Seth pretended to be hurt.

"Shut up you guys! Quit making fun of me." Summer pleaded. "Pick on Anna for awhile."

"But Summer," Anna's eyes flashed mirth, "You make it so easy!"

Summer sighed long-sufferingly.

"Poor Summer," Seth pulled her close.

Anna snorted. "Yeah. Poor Summer." She and Danny exchanged a look.

Seth cleared his throat. "Maybe I was wrong. Everything does seem like it's worked out for the best. Congratulations Danny and Anna. I hope you'll be very happy together."

Summer beamed at her boyfriend. Danny grinned at Anna.

Anna smiled up at Danny. "You owe me dessert."


End file.
